(a) The Lead Agency must describe in the Plan the State or Territory framework for training, professional development, and postsecondary education for caregivers, teachers, and directors, including those working in school-age care, that:

(1) Is developed in consultation with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (designated or established pursuant to section 642B(b)(1)(A)(i) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837b(b)(1)(A)(i))) or similar coordinating body;

(2) May engage training and professional development providers, including higher education in aligning training and education opportunities with the State's framework;

(3) Addresses professional standards and competencies, career pathways, advisory structure, articulation, and workforce information and financing;

(4) Establishes qualifications in accordance with §98.41(d)(3) designed to enable child care and school-age care providers that provide services for which assistance is provided in accordance with this part to promote the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of children and improve the knowledge and skills of caregivers, teachers and directors in working with children and their families;

(5) Includes professional development conducted on an ongoing basis, providing a progression of professional development (which may include encouraging the pursuit of postsecondary education);

(6) Reflects current research and best practices relating to the skills necessary for caregivers, teachers, and directors to meet the developmental needs of participating children and engage families, including culturally and linguistically appropriate practices; and

(7) Improves the quality, diversity, stability, and retention (including financial incentives and compensation improvements) of caregivers, teachers, and directors.

(b) The Lead Agency must describe in the Plan its established requirements for pre-service or orientation (to be completed within three months) and ongoing professional development for caregivers, teachers, and directors of child care providers of services for which assistance is provided under the CCDF that, to the extent practicable, align with the State framework:

(1) Accessible pre-service or orientation training in health and safety standards appropriate to the setting and age of children served that addresses:

(i) Each of the requirements relating to matters described in §98.41(a)(1)(i) through (xi) and specifying critical health and safety training that must be completed before caregivers, teachers, and directors are allowed to care for children unsupervised;

(ii) At the Lead Agency option, matters described in §98.41(a)(1)(xii); and

(iii) Child development, including the major domains (cognitive, social, emotional, physical development and approaches to learning);

(2) Ongoing, accessible professional development, aligned to a progression of professional development, including the minimum annual requirement for hours of training and professional development for eligible caregivers, teachers and directors, appropriate to the setting and age of children served, that:

(i) Maintains and updates health and safety training standards described in §98.41(a)(1)(i) through (xi), and at the Lead Agency option, in §98.41(a)(1)(xii);

(ii) Incorporates knowledge and application of the State's early learning and developmental guidelines for children birth to kindergarten (where applicable);

(iii) Incorporates social-emotional behavior intervention models for children birth through school-age, which may include positive behavior intervention and support models including preventing and reducing expulsions and suspensions of preschool-aged and school-aged children;

(iv) To the extent practicable, are appropriate for a population of children that includes:

(A) Different age groups;

(B) English learners;

(C) Children with developmental delays and disabilities; and

(D) Native Americans, including Indians, as the term is defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b) (including Alaska Natives within the meaning of that term), and Native Hawaiians (as defined in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965);

(v) To the extent practicable, awards continuing education units or is credit-bearing; and

(vi) Shall be accessible to caregivers, teachers, and directors supported through Indian tribes or tribal organizations that receive assistance under this subchapter.

[81 FR 67585, Sept. 30, 2016]